A collection of spiritual messages written for the Christ Renews His Parish email list for St. Joseph's Parish in Cottleville, Missouri. I moved away from St. Joseph's in the summer of 2010, but the email list lives on!

Here's a nice scene to place yourself in. A dead guy appears out of nowhere. "What's the fuss about? Got any food?" Can you imagine? v45 - He opens their eyes, and they understand the Scriptures. Anybody else want to have been in that classroom? Theology 901. Bring an extra pencil.Flip comments aside ...This passage specifically discusses the disciples, but it applies to us too. It is ultimately Christ who enables us to understand the Scriptures. We don't do it on our own. He opens our eyes when we are ready.

I know this from my own experience ... as I grow spiritually, passages that I've previously struggled with become more clear. It seems like every time I make some type of noticeable spiritual growth, that is accompanied by a deeper understanding of truth. That's God transforming me, bit by bit, into the man he wants me to be. It's too bad that there are too many "bits" remaining to be transformed, but that's the way it goes for us humans. My job is to be open to the transformation.

About Me

I'm a "Cradle Catholic" who woke up spiritually in 2000 at a prayer breakfast in St. Louis, MO. After immersing myself in Scripture in a non-denominational group, I began to struggle with the Catholic Church and began to consider myself Protestant in thought.

One day at Mass, I finally put the question to God: "Which is true and where do you want me?" The answer was immediate and obvious -- I belonged in the Catholic Church. Since then I have embraced the Faith. God has rewarded me generously and little by little has shown me the reasons for all of the things I questioned. This blog began as a series of emails that went out to about 30 people per day. It currently goes out to more than 200 people per day. I've saved my messages here out of necessity, and a desire to look back over my own spiritual development over time.